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Event Overview

The Bay Area Open: 16 Years Strong

The Bay Area Open is where Frontline Gaming got its start, and after 16 years, it's still the event that brings our community together like none other.

Whether you're here to test your skills against top-tier competition or just soak up the atmosphere of one of the West Coast's biggest tabletop gaming weekends, the Bay Area Open delivers. We've got tournaments running for Warhammer 40k, The Old World, Age of Sigmar, Kill Team, Star Wars Legion, and Blood Bowl—something for everyone, from grizzled tournament vets to folks jumping into their first major event.

With the BAO being part of Kublacon, every ticket purchase includes a 4 day Kublacon Convention Badge (valued at $95!)

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Event FAQs

New Hobby Workshop

All Your Base Are Belong To Us!

Army Basing Workshop with Phil Hall

Learn how to create cohesive, great-looking bases that work across an entire army without slowing down your hobby progress. This hands-on workshop is led by Phil Hall of the Glacial Geek YouTube channel and a member of The Army Painter Factory Team and is designed for hobbyists who want basing solutions that are fast, repeatable, and visually impactful.

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The Army Painter Challenge

The Army Painter Challenge is the world’s first game-system agnostic army painting competition, honoring the creativity and skill involved in this craft. Embracing the nuanced balance of technique, artistry, and time-saving tricks that bring our tabletop wargaming armies to life.

Join us as we assemble a coalition of painters, gamers, and hobbyists from around the world for a competition that is sure to be a true battle of creativity and skill!

News & Info

BAO 2026 will continue to deliver the professional tournament standards and community focused atmosphere the event is known for, while introducing refinements across scheduling, event layout, and hobby offerings. Additional updates including player packets, event schedules, hobby rubric reminders, and on site details will be released as we get closer to the event.

Check back regularly for the latest information as we prepare for another standout year of the Bay Area Open.

Schedule

FLG Event Staff

The friendly faces you'll see at this event..

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Venue

The Bay Area Open is held at The Westin San Francisco Airport located at 1 Old Bayshore Highway, Millbrae, CA 94030, from May 23-24, 2026.

Breakfast and dinner is served at Grill & Vine, the hotel's tavern-style restaurant. A full-service Starbucks is available in the lobby from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and a convenience store is open for late-night snacks and essentials.

An exclusive discounted hotel room block is provided by the venue!

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Travel

For those flying in, the closest airport is SFO which The Westin has a free shuttle to and from the airport.

Event Registration

Once you purchase your desired ticket and receive an e-mail confirmation, you will be registered for this event. Many games and tournament organizers (TO’s) use Best Coast Pairings (aka BCP) to run events and will e-mail you a unique access code to add yourself to the player roster. Codes and further instructions are expected to be sent out a few weeks prior to the event date, if applicable.

Always refer to your player packet for specific or unique instructions beyond purchasing your ticket.

 

In-person check-in is not required at this event. The FLG Events registration desk is where you pick up any merch orders and event exclusive swag that’s included with your ticket.

Visitors are welcome to come in and spectate at no cost. We always ask to be respectful of our players who are competing on the table-tops.

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